To power up a mountain, you need a stiff bike frame that transfers pedaling force straight to the wheels. But zooming downhill without jolts or spills calls for more cushioning. So Kona’s Coilair bikes feature a lever that automatically shortens the shock when you pedal and lengthens it when you coast. The lever also pushes the seat closer to the ground, lowering the center of gravity to match the stability of a dedicated downhill racing bike.

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It’s hard to tell if you've sanded a board smooth when you can't feel your fingers. That’s the dilemma with random-orbit sanders, which work the wood's surface using a round pad that not only spins but also slides from side to side randomly in all directions—in effect orbiting the center of the device. That shaking motion is great for removing material without gouging the wood. Unfortunately, it also rattles your hands, causing numbness and even lasting nerve and circulatory damage.

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Diehard Arduino users know that Processing is the framework that is used for building a sketch into an ATmega168 AVR project. Well, step aside, Arduino, because there’s a new maker on the block: Nervous System.

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It’s about time we get the adapter equivalent of the Universal Remote Control. Ever since engineer Doug Palmer lost his cell phone charger (a hardship that has practically become part of the shared human experience), he has sought to develop an adapter that supplies power to every last iPod, laptop and digital camera.

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Next-generation super-phones won’t just be slimmer versions of today’s devices; they will be entirely different machines. Chipmakers are reinventing every processor that powers your portable. From PS3-quality videogames to built-in cameras that can fill in for your current point-and-shoot, a chip for it is in the works. And thanks to shrinking transistors, the new phones won’t be any larger or more power-hungry than today’s ultrathin models. Below, we've pulled together the technologies being released in the next year and a half to build the smartest smartphone possible.

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Paintball has become the perfect way for gadget geeks to unleash their inner Rambo. The latest carbon-dioxide- or compressed-air-powered guns, known as “markers,” have computerized controls and electronic firing mechanisms that can blast out 1,200 balls a minute at speeds of up to 300 feet per second. Add in a quick reloader and a sneaky scope, and your buddies won’t stand a chance.

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You don’t have to fumble with a remote control to pause a video on Toshiba’s Qosmio G55-Q802. Simply hold your palm up in the universal “stop” sign.

The laptop reads this and other hand signals instantly using the Cell, the supercomputer chip best known for powering the PlayStation 3. An Intel CPU performs most of the tasks on the G55, but a special version of the Cell tackles complex video-manipulation jobs by breaking them into bite-size chunks and parceling them out to four processors on the chip.

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While the MacBook Air showed how slim a laptop could be, the Voodoo Envy ($2,100; voodoopc.com) demonstrates how much can fit in that space. Using the same compact CPU as the Air, the carbon-fiber-clad Envy measures just 0.7 inch thick—a tad thinner than the Mac at its thickest point. And it packs in more features, including a slot for high-speed cellular data cards, two USB ports, and an HDMI port for attaching to a high-def TV.

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When Google squelched rumors of the all-powerful “G-phone” last November, we admit we were a bit bummed. Instead of an inexpensive smartphone that would free us from our carrier overlords, Google had been working on software—an open-source, mobile operating system called Android. Great name, but will unlocking cellphone code really change things for consumers?

Miner says that more than 750,000 developers have downloaded the tool required to write an Android-based program, four times as many as accessed the iPhone’s tightly regulated kit. That means Android users could have far more mobile applications to choose from. But we still don’t know how those apps will stack up next to Apple’s. Android-equipped phones—set to go on sale this summer—should be less expensive than the iPhone, since manufacturers won’t have to pay licensing fees for the software. But instead of getting free, ad-subsidized service, like Google’s e-mail, you’ll still shell out to carriers. Which makes us wonder: Is this really so new, or just another offering in the crowded mobile market? We spoke with Rich Miner, head of Google’s mobile-platform division, for some clarity.

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Although high-def camcorders shoot incredible detail, they are a far cry from Hollywood gear. But the Red Scarlet, due out later this year, will capture five-megapixel video frames, picking up more than twice the detail of high-def camcorders and rivaling the eight-megapixel flicks that A-list directors are starting to shoot.

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One of the bigger announcements at the Steve Job's keynote presentation today was the new App Store—a native application on the iPhone that will allow users to purchase, download and install third-party software for their phones. It's the only place iPhone owners can get the software, and most of the keynote today was dedicated to highlighting programs already created using the software developers kit.

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Fitting for a programmers conference, this Apple keynote focused on software—and the announcement of a new iPhone felt almost like an afterthought. Nearly an hour of the keynote was dedicated to a parade of developers who had built iPhone programs using the software developers kit (SDK). But is it really as easy to write iPhone apps as Apple says it is?

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